The invention is in the field of the packing industry and relates to a method of producing packaging items according to the generic part of the first independent claim. The packing item made according to the method is applicable in particular for packing goods from which liquid tends to ooze, which liquid for different reasons is not wanted inside the package.
An example for such a liquid is the meat juice oozing out of packed fresh meat. If the meat is packed in a liquid proof packaging item and remains so for some time, the meat juice accumulates inside the package round the meat. This does not look nice and furthermore it constitutes a medium in which deterioration of the meat is accelerated. Therefore it is important to keep this meat juice not only out of sight of a potential buyer but it is also important to keep it, as far as possible, separated from the meat. Similar problems arise with any goods to be packed which goods produce a liquid whilst packed.
According to the state of the art the problem of unwanted liquid inside a liquid proof package is solved, in the case of packages made from polymers which do not absorb any liquid at all, by introducing an absorbing agent into the package, which absorbing agent absorbs the unwanted liquid. The absorbing agent mainly used in the case of packaged meat is a piece of absorbing paper. This piece of absorbing paper is usually positioned between the not transparent bottom part of the packaging item and the meat and it is smaller than the meat. Thus, the absorbing paper cannot be seen as long as the package is closed. Furthermore the piece of absorbing paper reduces the meat surface which is in direct contact with the absorbed juice, i.e. the absorbing paper solves the problem of the unwanted liquid in a satisfactory way.
However, the absorbing paper or any absorbing agent introduced in the package keeps the liquid meat juice out of sight of the customer only as long as he does not open the package. Then, this customer is confronted with the wet and not very appetizing absorbing paper which he has to separate from the meat and which he has to dispose of. Furthermore the absorbing paper or any other sort of absorbing agent constitutes a further piece of material adding to the weight and to the cost of the package.
A further known means for removing unwanted liquid in a packaging item from the view of a potential buyer and from the packed goods are grooves or holes in the bottom part of the packaging item which grooves or holes act as capillaries taking up the liquid and not releasing it any more. Such packaging items and methods for producing them are described in the publications U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,722 and FR-2717452.